Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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ReconRun unprivileged code on device
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DeliveryIssue crafted GPU mapping syscalls
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ExploitInteger overflow aliases two VAs to one page
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InstallFree first mapping and backing page
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C2Freed page reallocated to victim
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ExecuteRead/write via dangling second mapping
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ImpactEscalate privileges or leak data
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Memory lifecycle management
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires the attacker to already run code as a local non-privileged user on a device whose kernel loads a vulnerable Imagination Graphics DDK build (1.18 RTM2, 23.2 RTM2, 24.2 RTM2, 25.1 RTM2-25.3 RTM, or 26.1 RTM1) and to have access to the PowerVR GPU device interface to issue the mapping system calls. The exploit hinges on triggering an integer overflow in the GPU virtual-to-physical mapping path to produce two VAs aliasing one physical page, then winning a reallocation race after freeing the first mapping so the freed page is reused by a victim. Limiting factors: no remote vector (local access mandatory; PR:L means the attacker must already hold an execution foothold), success depends on reaching the GPU driver ioctl surface (which OS sandboxing may restrict) and on the freed physical page being reallocated to a target of interest; no user interaction is needed. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H = 7.8 High) is internally consistent and matches the description: exploitation needs only local access as an already-running non-privileged process, with low complexity and no user interaction, yielding full confidentiality, integrity and availability impact within an unchanged scope. EPSS is low (0.15%, 5th percentile), the CVE is not in CISA KEV, and no POC is referenced - signals pointing to no widespread automated exploitation today. However, EPSS/KEV systematically under-weight local GPU driver bugs, which are rarely mass-scanned yet highly prized for sandbox escapes and root escalation on mobile/embedded devices; a controllable read/write UAF over reallocated physical memory is a classic, reliable exploitation primitive. Net: a genuine escalation-of-privilege priority for any device shipping the affected DDK, not a high-CVSS-but-low-real-risk issue, even though internet-facing mass exploitation is not the threat model. The description implies local access, which AV:L correctly reflects - no conflict among signals. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A malicious or compromised non-privileged app on a device using the vulnerable PowerVR DDK issues crafted GPU mapping system calls that overflow an internal size calculation, creating two GPU virtual mappings aliased to one physical page. The app frees the first mapping (releasing the physical page), lets the kernel reallocate that page to another process or privileged structure, then reads and writes it through the still-valid second mapping to leak secrets or corrupt memory toward privilege escalation. No public exploit is identified at time of analysis, but the low-complexity local vector makes a reliable weaponized exploit plausible. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Jul 13, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Imagination Technologies' Graphics DDK (PowerVR GPU driver) lets a non-privileged user trigger a use-after-free by abusing an integer overflow in GPU memory-mapping system calls. The flaw allows two GPU virtual addresses to alias the same physical page; freeing one mapping releases the page while the second dangling mapping retains read/write access, enabling cross-process memory disclosure and corruption. No public exploit is identified at time of analysis and EPSS is low (0.15%), but the local read/write UAF primitive is a strong stepping stone to kernel-level compromise.
RemediationAI
Upgrade the Graphics DDK to a fixed release as directed by Imagination's advisory at https://www.imaginationtech.com/gpu-driver-vulnerabilities/; the input data does not list an exact fixed version, so the specific patched build should be taken as vendor-confirmed only once obtained from that advisory (no independently verified fix version is available here). In practice the fix must be delivered through the SoC/device vendor's firmware or OS driver update, so coordinate with the platform vendor for the corresponding patched image. Where patching is not yet possible, compensating controls are limited because the attack originates from any local non-privileged process: reduce the population of untrusted code that can reach the GPU driver (restrict installation/execution of untrusted third-party apps, and where the OS supports it constrain access to the GPU device nodes/ioctl interface via SELinux/sandbox policy), accepting that this can break legitimate GPU-accelerated applications; and monitor for anomalous GPU allocation patterns. These controls narrow, but do not eliminate, exploitability until the driver update is applied.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The affected component is Imagination Technologies' Graphics Device Driver Kit (DDK), the kernel/user driver stack for PowerVR-family GPUs embedded in many mobile and embedded SoCs (cpe:2.3:a:imagination_technologies:graphics_ddk). GPU drivers expose ioctl-style system calls that let userspace applications allocate and map GPU memory, translating GPU virtual addresses (device VA) to physical pages. The root cause is CWE-416 (Use After Free), reached through an integer overflow in the mapping path: size/bounds arithmetic wraps, causing the driver to create two distinct GPU virtual mappings that resolve to the same underlying physical page. When one mapping (and its backing physical page) is freed, the driver fails to invalidate the aliased second mapping, leaving a dangling GPU-accessible reference to memory that the kernel or another process can subsequently reallocate.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attacker runs local unprivileged code (AV:L, PR:L) via straightforward GPU syscalls (AC:L, UI:N); the read/write UAF over reallocated memory yields full C:H/I:H/A:H within an unchanged scope.
Primary rating from Vendor (imaginationtech).
CVSS VectorVendor: imaginationtech
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
Software installed and run as a non-privileged user may conduct improper GPU system calls to cause an integer overflow and map two GPU virtual addresses to the same physical address. One of these virutal mappings can be freed along with the physical page, allowing for a read/write UAF via the second mapping
The second virtual mapping references a physical address that has been freed after the first virtual mapping has been freed. This allows the physical memory to be allocated (for example) by another process and read/written to.
Executive ViewAI
Imagination Technologies' PowerVR GPU driver contains a local privilege escalation flaw (CVE-2026-34196, CVSS 7.8) allowing any non-privileged system user to achieve kernel-level read/write access via a use-after-free vulnerability. No vendor patch is currently available, leaving organizations with affected GPU hardware-including mobile devices, embedded systems, and certain laptops-exposed to persistent kernel compromise by internal or physically-proximate attackers. This risk is elevated in environments where endpoint security relies on OS-level privilege boundaries.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: enforce OS-level privilege escalation prevention (SMAC/SELinux) scoped to GPU memory subsystems; restrict non-administrative user SSH and physical access to affected endpoints; disable GPU acceleration if workload supports it; segment affected systems network-side to contain lateral movement in event of local compromise; implement system call auditing (auditd) on GPU device file access; maintain isolated test system for patch validation when released.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
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EUVD-2026-43032
GHSA-54wp-4fgx-pxg4
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB